The
Beiyang Army (
Pei-yang Army; ) was a powerful, Western-style
Imperial Chinese Army established by the
Qing Dynasty government in the late 19th century. It was the centerpiece of a general reconstruction of China's
military system. The Beiyang Army played a major role in Chinese politics for at least three decades and arguably right up to 1949. It made the
Xinhai Revolution of 1911 possible, and, by dividing into
warlord factions known as the
Beiyang Clique (
Pei-yang Clique; ), ushered in a period of regional division.